Behold the mighty pound. Each one has potential. To put raw power into your pedals. To outsprint the masses to the line. To ascend the likes of Mont Ventoux. But pack on too many (especially of the non-power-producing variety—in other words, fat) and they'll weigh you down, slow you down, and maybe even shorten your life. Shave off too many, and you risk losing some of your crank-churning power. That's why, of all the figures cyclists track, from heart rate to mileage to speed, perhaps none outrank the one on the bathroom scale.

"I spend a lot of time helping riders achieve their ideal weight because the rewards are so great," says Hunter Allen, founder of the Peaks Coaching Group and coauthor of Training and Racing with a Power Meter. "Every extra pound you carry above that weight makes you 15 to 20 seconds slower for each mile of a climb." Off the bike, the rewards are just as substantial. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that losing just 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight can lower your blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, and protect against diabetes and cancer. Even if you never compete, slimming down will help you enjoy riding more because your heart won't have to work as hard. Maybe you'll even drop some of those leaner-than-thou types on the group ride. You get the idea.

But this is about being strong, not skinny. Fat plays a key role in immune-system function—if you don't have enough, your energy will flag and you'll get sick. Become so lean that you start to burn muscle, and your power will plummet. The idea is to find a sweet spot where you can ride strong, yet be healthy, too.

This sweet spot depends on numerous factors, including your current weight, height, and body-frame size. Below, we give you three ways to find a target ideal weight you can live, ride, or even race with for life. Focus on the one that best fits your goals, or try all three. Then, read ahead for our training and meal plans designed to help you achieve your ideal cycling weight—and stay there for good.

Ride It Off: Your Quickstart Plan
Now that you know what you want to weigh, it's time to plot how to get there. The following two-week plan from coach Hunter Allen will jump-start your weight loss by training your body to become a fat-burning machine. "It combines intense efforts with on-bike fueling strategies to teach your body to burn fat more effectively," he says. "It's not about drilling it every day. It's about becoming a strong, well-rounded rider and an excellent fat burner." You'll get noticeable results fast. For a longer-term program that will help you shed pounds for good, sign up for Allen's premium eight-week Get Lean Now plan.

How It Works
The program assumes you hop on your bike (or a stationary bike at the gym) four or more days a week. If you've been riding less than that, take the easy days as full rest and begin with the fewest number of intervals indicated on a given day.

Keep your calorie intake in check by limiting snacks on easy and rest days. On days that include hills, intervals, and/or other hard work right after your warm-up, have a preride snack. For endurance rides (Days 6, 7, 13, and 14), when you'll pedal at a lower intensity, roll out the door on an empty stomach, ideally in the morning before breakfast or a few hours after a meal later in the day. But take plenty of food with you (see the GO FASTER eating plan) for on-bike snack suggestions). You can fuel up after the 90-minute mark before you drain your glycogen stores and bonk. "The idea is to train your body to become an efficient fat burner while still properly fueling your ride," Allen says. At first, it may be difficult to wait this long to start eating. Remember to ride at an easy to moderate effort. You should be able to carry on a conversation easily. If you're really flagging, have a bite or two at the one-hour mark and extend from there on subsequent rides.

Note: The formulas and plans in this article are not a substitute for medical advice. Consult with a physician before embarking on any weight-loss program.

Your Quickstart Plan

Day 1 Lengthen your planned ride by 30 minutes and add one to three 10-minute intervals at an effort close to what you could maintain in a 60-minute time trial, or a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of 5 on a scale of 1 to 10. Pedal lightly for 5 minutes between each.

Day 2 Include two to five 3-minute intervals in your planned ride, maintaining the hardest steady effort you can. Pedal lightly for 3 minutes between each.

Day 3 Lengthen your planned ride by adding 45 minutes, structured as one 8- to 10-second sprint every 2 minutes at 80 percent of your all-out effort (RPE 8), maintaining a moderate to somewhat strong effort in between, or RPE 3 to 4.

Day 4 Include five to ten 1-minute intervals in your planned ride. Do these aggressively (RPE 7 to 8) and attack so that you're fading (but still pushing) in the final 15 seconds. Pedal lightly for 2 minutes between each.

Day 5 Spin easy for an hour or take a rest day.

Day 6 Endurance ride. Aim for 2 hours at an easy to moderate effort (RPE 2 to 3). If you haven't done a ride of this length recently, extend your longest recent ride by one-third.

Day 7 Endurance ride. Aim for 3 hours at an easy to moderate effort (RPE 2 to 3), or extend your longest recent ride by one-third.

Day 8 Spin easy for an hour or take a rest day.

Day 9 Include two to four 10-minute intervals in your regular ride at an effort close to what you could maintain in a 60-minute time trial (RPE 5). Push yourself hard during the last 2 minutes. Pedal lightly to recover for 5 minutes between each.

Day 10 Include five to ten 15-second all-out sprints (RPE 10) in your regular ride. Pedal lightly to recover for 4 minutes between each. Alternate between small- and big-ring sprints.

Day 11 Include the following anaerobic intervals in a regular ride: three 2-minute intervals at RPE 7 with 2 minutes of easy pedaling between each. Ride 5 minutes easy. Then do three 1-minute intervals at RPE 8 with 1 minute of recovery in between. Ride 5 minutes easy and finish with three 30-second intervals, going all-out, with 1 minute of easy pedaling in between.

Eat Smart, Go Faster
Though some people have an easier time slimming down than others, weight loss is basically about how many calories you eat versus how many you burn. Here's the simple math. One pound equals 3,500 calories. To lose a pound a week, create a daily deficit of 500 calories by eating less and/or burning more. The biggest challenge for a cyclist is to create this deficit while still getting enough fuel to sustain your rides. "This is where the timing of your calories—and their composition—becomes essential," says Anne Guzman, sports-nutrition consultant for Peaks Coaching Group. It's also where most of us get it wrong.

Some riders try to lose weight by underfueling their rides. It always backfires. "If you don't eat enough on the bike, you'll empty your stored glycogen, forcing your body to break down muscle tissue for energy," Guzman says. If you start depleting muscle, your performance suffers. It does no good to be skinny if you're off the back. And chances are you won't get skinny because you'll finish the ride starving and eat everything in sight. It's more effective to eat measured portions of the right kinds of calories throughout the day. Don't devalue carbs: Though protein is vital for muscle repair, carbs are a cyclist's primary source of fuel during training, Guzman says.

Based on these principles, Guzman created an eating program based on whole foods with high nutritional value that will optimize your health and weight. Each meal provides a balance of slow-burning carbs to fuel your riding, along with muscle-mending protein, healthy fat for energy and immunity, and an array of fruits and vegetables. We call it the GO FASTER plan because every ingredient was selected for its ability to transform you into a leaner, more powerful cyclist.

For rides under 90 minutes, Guzman recommends electrolyte drinks; for longer rides, look for sports drinks that are 4 to 7 percent carbohydrate. Otherwise, reach for flavored waters, coffee, tea, and other low-sugar, low-calorie drinks. Avoid soda, fruit juices, and diet soft drinks (artificial sweeteners have been linked to fat gain). Alcohol delivers empty calories, and while a glass of wine with dinner isn't a crime, if you want to get lean, consider how those calories fit into your daily total. As for sweets, it's okay to to splurge on dessert now and then.

Stay Lean for Life
Anyone who has ever been on a diet knows that dropping pounds turns out to be the easy part. Keeping them off? Not so much. In fact, a recent study puts the odds at one in six for maintaining weight loss.

That's pretty discouraging news. The better news is that as an active cyclist, you're already one step ahead of the game. "People who maintain their activity levels have much better odds of staying at their lower weight," says Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, author of the Active Calorie Diet.

The National Weight Control Registry reports that among people who successfully keep weight off, men burn an average of 3,293 calories a week and women an average of 2,545. That works out to about an hour of moderate riding every day. As activity levels slide, weight creeps back on.

You may also need to start eating a little less. Losing weight resets your metabolism. And the more you ride, the more efficient you become at burning calories. In short, the new, leaner you needs fewer calories to sustain your body both on and off your bike. The adjustments aren't huge. For each pound you lose, your total daily calorie requirements dip by about 10. So a rider who dropped 10 pounds needs 100 fewer calories each day. Keep following the plan until you hit your goal weight. Then stay with it for three months, allowing your metabolism to adjust.

Having a focused plan can also help. Here are four other strategies that researchers have linked to keeping weight off.

Eat breakfast It keeps your energy level steady so you don't overeat later in the day.

Weigh in The vast majority of people who stay slim step on a scale at least once a week—those concrete numbers staring up at you are simply too hard to ignore.

Be Consistent Most folks who keep the pounds off do so by staying the course. They eat well most of the time without swinging between deprivation and bingeing.

Most of us can slot our overall build into one of three general categories. Which type are you?

Ectomorph
You tend to be long-limbed and small-framed. Your muscles are lean and sinewy, not bulky, and you may have trouble keeping weight on. To gain strength and lean muscle mass, work your large muscle groups with squats and leg presses, and by performing big-gear intervals on the bike, and be sure to get enough protein by including it in every meal.

Mesomorph
You’re naturally muscular and proportionally built, and tend toward the lean side. While you shouldn’t seek to deliberately lose muscle, you may want to avoid gaining it where you don’t need it for cycling, like on your upper body.

Endomorph
You are generally more heavyset, especially around your midsection, and have a hard time losing fat. Even though muscle is an athlete’s engine, too much can weigh you down. Try plyometrics (jumping exercises) to improve the speed and force of your muscle contractions without increasing bulk.

Where Does Power-to-Weight Fit In?
The single best measure of your cycling performance is your power-to-weight ratio. This figure refers to the maximum power output measured in watts that you can sustain for an extended period of time, generally 30 minutes or more. You’ll need a power meter to find this number.

The standard test for determining power is to perform a 20-minute time trial on an uphill grade. No hill at your disposal? Simulate the test on a flat road or trainer. Avoid rolling roads, which will lower your overall power number. Record the average wattage you produce, then divide the watts by your morning body weight in kilograms (pounds divided by 2.2). So if you weigh 180 pounds (82kg) and you average 270 watts, your power-to-weight ratio is 3.3 watts per kg.

To score a top spot on RadioShack-Nissan, that number would need to be above 6 watts per kg. Beginner cyclists usually pull in the range of 2.5 to 3.2 for men and 2.1 to 2.8 for women. Fast recreational riders produce wattage in the range of 3.7 to 4.4 for men and 3.2 to 3.8 for women.

If you’re cranking out 2.9 and want to hit 3.9, look at your weight first. If it’s not optimal, use our weight-loss training and nutrition plans. If it’s where you want it to be, work on your power. Regular strength training, especially squats, leg presses, and step-ups, can do the job. Turn that strength into power on the bike by performing intervals like the ones in Your Quickstart Plan.

OPTION 1: SHED EXCESS POUNDS
If you fit one or more of the descriptions below, use the steps on this page to estimate an ideal target weight for your height and body-frame size.
—You ride a few times a week, primarily for recreation.
—You used to ride all the time, and maybe even raced, but work, family, and other responsibilities have forced you to scale back.
—You know you’ve got some weight to lose before you can think about improving your performance on the bike.

Now, factor in your frame size
Just as mountain bikes come in small, medium, and large, so do our skeletal frames. That’s why there’s a range of medically recommended weights for any given height. A standard measurement of frame size is your wrist circumference in relation to your height. Use a tape measure to measure your wrist in inches at its widest point, then locate your frame size in this chart.

Match your wrist size to your height:

Men

Women

Women

Women

Height

> 5’5”

< 5’2”

5’2” to 5’ 5”

> 5’ 5”

5.5” to 6.5”

< 5.5”

< 6”

< 6.25”

Small

Wrist

6.5” to 7.5”

5.5” to 5.75”

6” to 6.25”

6.25” to 6.5”

Medium

> 7. 5”

> 5.75”

> 6.25”

> 6.5”

Large

*Women vary more by height and frame size than men do and therefore have more variation in this ratio.

This number is your adjusted target weight. Standard body-weight formulas are based on averages, which means that results for some people may be slightly skewed. If the number you calculate is equal to or greater than your current weight, or if it’s too low to be attainable, try the formula on the next page, which focuses on your body composition.

OPTION 2: GET LEANER AND FASTER
If you fit one or more of the descriptions below, use the following steps to estimate a weight that will maximize your body composition.
—You ride four or more days a week, including hard-charging training rides.
—You want to be competitive in a gran fondo, do a hard century, or race occasionally.
—You want to maximize your body composition and gain more power.
—The target ideal weight you calculated in option 1 is greater than your current weight.

Body composition is a set of percentages that breaks down your weight into fat and lean pedal-pushing muscle. You’ll get the most accurate reading from a special body-composition scale. (You can buy these devices, which are also found in most fitness centers.) To get the most precise reading, make sure you use or purchase one that takes into account fitness level and follow the directions carefully. The reading is sensitive to your hydration level and, for women, menstrual cycles. Like your weight, the figure will fluctuate, so try to calculate your average numbers over a couple of weeks. Avoid online calculators; they don’t provide accurate readings for active people.

Next, compare your reading to the percentages in the chart below, which are listed according to fitness levels.

Your current body fat ____________%

Healthy body-fat ranges are 10 to 25 percent for men and 18 to 30 percent for women (who naturally have more fat). Athletes in top form may fall below these numbers. If your body-fat percentage is higher, decide on a goal number within the healthy range. But be realistic and don’t just target the lowest possible percentage. “Having a bit more body fat is better for your immune system and for consistency on the bike,” Allen says.

Your body-fat goal ____________%

Next, use these formulas to come up with a goal weight based on body composition:

OPTION 3: GET COMPETITIVE
If you fit one or more of the descriptions below, use the following guidelines to figure out how your weight compares with riders at cycling’s highest levels.
—You are a competitive racer who trains 10 to 15 hours a week.
—You’re already lean, but you aspire to achieve a racing weight comparable to that of the fastest racers.
—Your body fat is at the low end of the healthy range (or lower).

Caution: This weight may not be realistic or even healthy to maintain long-term. For many cyclists, these numbers may be aggressively low. Unless you get really serious about racing, you might want to set your sights a little higher.

Cycling coach Joe Friel, creator of the Training Bible series of books, has calculated that top male riders generally carry 2.1 to 2.4 pounds per inch; top women come in at 1.9 to 2.2 pounds per inch. That means a 5-foot-10 man would weigh 147 to 168 pounds and a 5-foot-5 woman would tip the scales between 123 and 143. Elite climbing specialists are often even lighter. Extra weight exacts far less of a penalty on flat ground than it does when you head toward the heavens on 10 percent grades. (This ratio isn’t the same as your power-to-weight ratio, which is considered the gold standard for determining your most competitive cycling weight. But it’s close, and it doesn’t require an expensive power meter to figure out.)

There are exceptions, says Friel. Even a cursory glance at the others in your cycling club will tell you that fast, successful riders come in all sizes. Most famous was Lance Armstrong, who at about 2.1 pounds per inch was larger than most of the world’s top climbers; he overcame his extra bulk by producing more power. Riders like Armstrong and Cadel Evans are just built bigger than Andy and Frank Schleck, but that doesn’t make them slower. If you tend toward the muscular side, it can be unrealistic, if not downright counterproductive, to try to achieve an unnaturally low weight.

Use the ranges above to see how close your goal or current weight is to a weight that would maximize your ability to compete (assuming you have the corresponding fitness). If your goal or current weight is less than your competitive weight, go back to the “Get Leaner and Faster” to make sure your body fat is within a healthy range. If it’s not, hit the gym to put on lean muscle tissue and be sure you’re properly fueling during and especially after your rides, so you don’t go into a catabolic state and eat into your precious muscle stores. Be especially sure to meet your daily protein requirements by including it in every meal and snack.